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Teachers Obliged to Stay at School for 40 Hours Every Week

Suara Pembaruan, page 16

Dirjen of Teachers and Education Personnel (GTK) of the Ministry of National Education (Kemendikbud), Sumarnasura Pranata, said that the government will stipulate a policy whereby teachers must work eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. To date, teachers work only 24 hours a week.

Pranata explained that this regulation is especially intended for teachers who have obtained a profession allowance. According to Law on Teachers and Lecturers Number 14 Article 35 paragraph (1), there are five duties for teachers, namely, planning, teaching, assessing, guiding and providing additional assignment. Paragraph (2) also states that the workload is a minimum 24 hours and maximum 40 hours for teaching.

Pranata at a discussion event with Education Journalist Forum (Fortadik) said that Mendikbud has several times said that teachers must work eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. This is in accordance with Law on Employment and Law on Manpower. He added that Kemendikbud will prepare policies on five main duties as referred to in paragraph (1) of Law on Teachers and Lecturers. Those duties must be carried out at school for eight hours a day.

Pranata said that teachers must not bring their work home. Teachers must concentrate on educating students at school through those five duties. This also includes the teacher’s obligation to learn or train through workshops, technical guidance and learner teachers. This obligation is an inseparable part of the five duties.

In regard to this regulation, Sekjen of Federation of Indonesian Teachers Association (FSGI), Retno Listyarti, said that there is an essential difference between structural (administrative) and functional (such as teachers, doctor and firefighter) employees. She said that Kemendikbud thus wants to make teachers become structural not functional employees. Teachers in fact work without a time limitation. Therefore, the provision for teachers’ working hours is not necessary.